Sadiq Khan is publishing a book on climate action inspired by his asthma diagnosis
(Picture: Getty Images)Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is publishing a book on environmental campaigning after he was diagnosed with adult onset asthma at the age of 43.
Announcing his book, which will be published next year, Khan, 51, said: “Climate change is the biggest threat facing our world, and since being elected Mayor I’ve made it a mission to clean up London’s killer air pollution and reduce our carbon emissions so we can build a better, greener city for everyone.
“This summer has shown climate change isn’t a faraway problem. London saw record temperatures, an official drought declared and wildfires raging across the city. I hope this book spurs more people on to the urgent action we need to fight climate change.”
But what is asthma and how can adults get diagnosed with it?
What is asthma?
Asthma is a common lung condition that causes breathing difficulties. Although asthma often starts in childhood, it can develop for the first time in adulthood, too.
It causes swelling of the breathing tubes, which can happen randomly or after being exposed to a trigger.
Asthma tends to be a long-term condition, especially when it develops in adulthood. But children who have asthma may find it improves as they get older.
What are the symptoms of asthma?
Asthma symptoms include:
- Wheezing
- Breathlessness
- A tight chest
- Coughing
These symptoms can get worse in certain situations, such as at night, while exercising, or after reacting to a trigger such as the weather or an allergy.
What causes asthma?
There are a number of reasons why asthma can develop in children and adults.
People are more likely to develop asthma if their family members also have it, particularly their parents. People with allergies, or with a family history of allergies, are also more likely to develop asthma.
Young children are more likely to develop asthma if they were born prematurely or with a high or low birth weight. They are also more at risk if they suffer from certain illnesses such as bronchiolitis or croup.
Smoking can cause both childhood asthma (if a mother smokes during pregnancy or if someone smokes around a baby or child) as well as in adults (as smokers are more at risk of developing asthma than non-smokers).
A common cause of adult onset asthma is occupational asthma. This is when someone is exposed to something in work, such as chemicals or dust, that can lead to developing asthma.
People with obesity are more at risk of experiencing asthma attacks, while overweight children are more likely to develop the lung condition.
Does air pollution cause asthma?
Pollution, the subject of Sadiq Khan’s book, is also a cause of asthma. Children who live near busy roads are more likely to develop asthma, while air pollution can make symptoms worse.
A 2019 study by King’s College London and Imperial College London found about 1,000 London hospital admissions for asthma and serious lung conditions every year were caused by poor air quality in the capital.
In 2020, The British Medical Journal published a study that found that exposure to increased levels of air pollution can lead to the development of asthma in children, as well as exacerbating existing conditions.
More than two million Londoners live in areas that exceed air pollution limits, and poor households are more likely to be exposed to air pollution.
Asthma + Lung UK has launched the Clean Air Champions scheme, which encourages students to raise awareness of the importance of clean air and to campaign for the reduction of air pollution.
What triggers asthma?
People with asthma can be triggered by a variety of things, including the following:
- Allergies
- Smoke
- Pollution
- Cold air
- Exercise
- Infections
How is asthma treated?
Although there is no cure for asthma, it can be treated with an inhaler.
A reliever inhaler is used when someone needs to quickly relieve asthma symptoms, while a preventer inhaler is typically used every day to stop the symptoms from happening.
